The Strassmann Lab in the Department of Anthropology and the Institute for Social Research is looking for a postdoctoral research fellow to work with genomic data from from placental tissue collected from the Dogon of Mali, West Africa. Our group studies the epigenetic mechanisms in the placenta that transfer information about maternal nutrition to offspring and that play a role in the developmental origins of non-communicable diseases. We focus on genomic imprinting, which is a mechanism of epigenetic regulation that represses genes on the maternal or paternal allele. A major obstacle in the genomic imprinting field is the lack of longitudinal data on human phenotypes. Our NIH R01 study is unique because our international team has collected a wealth of genomic and prospective longitudinal phenotypic data for two generations of mother-offspring pairs gathered over 24 years. We are testing the hypothesis that natural variation in imprinting transmits maternal growth and life history phenotypes to offspring. The postdoc will work with next generation sequencing data from allele specific expression and DNA-methylation of imprinted genes in the placenta, along with our longitudinal growth, demographic, health, and social data for mothers and offspring. We seek a highly motivated research fellow to participate in the computational (statistical/bioinformatic) and/or laboratory aims of the study as both an independent thinker and team player.

For further information and to apply for the position, please go to: https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/224044/research-fellow

Salary: In accordance with the NIH stipend levels for postdoctoral fellows and number of years of experience. Start Date: Flexible. Duration: The appointment will be for 2-3 years, contingent on annual renewal.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.